Largeflower Bellwort – Uvularia Grandiflora: Not-so Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Fairy Bells of Wild Plants

Largeflower bellwort – Uvularia grandiflora

Largeflower bellwort (uvularia grandiflora) has limited human uses, perhaps the most so of any plant I’ve covered so far. But this is a wonderful plant for spring pollinators, I had to bump it up the list. Large-flowered or largeflower bellwort (uvularia grandiflora) is common in deciduous woods on rich leafy hummus. I see it along …

Read more

The Wood Folk Diaries: Volume 4 (Poisonous Plants), Chapter 2: Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn

The Wood Folk Diaries: Volume 4 (Poisonous Plants), Chapter 2: Dutchman's Breeches and Squirrel Corn

Dear Wood Folk, You’ve likely heard of or seen the plant bleeding heart. I have some planted over the graves of my beloved pets. Dutchman’s breeches (dicentra cucullaria) and squirrel corn (dicentra canadensis) are the native relations to bleeding heart in Ontario. Dutchman’s breeches have yellow “waistbands” on their upside-down knicker shaped flowers, while squirrel …

Read more

Clubmosses – Lycopodium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Not Really a Moss of Wild Plants

Clubmosses - Lycopodium SPP.: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Not Really a Moss of Wild Plants

In Haliburton Flora, there are 9 clubmosses (lycopodium spp.) listed. Although, since that survey was taken most of them have been reclassified. Genus flipping aside, by narrowest circumscription just 2 of these are lycopods hereabouts, and 4 Ontario-wide. Clubmoss/lycopodium species are vascular plants often referred to as fern allies, closely related to ferns and plants …

Read more

American Spikenard – Aralia Racemosa: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Jumble Berry of Wild Plants

American Spikenard – Aralia Racemosa

In Chippewa, o’kadak or aya’bidjidji’bikugi’sin, the later implying adhesiveness, spikenard is another edible and medicinal plant from the sarsaparilla family. We’ve covered its relation sarsaparilla before and eventually we’ll cover its other local close relation American ginseng. Be aware, sometimes wild sarsaparilla is also called “spikenard” (plus a few others plants too, who are less related!) …

Read more

Lady Fern – Athyrium Filix-femina: Edible & Medicinal Uses of an Alt Fiddlehead of Wild Plants

Lady Fern - Athyrium Filix-femina

In Chippewa, a’sawan, lady fern (athyrium filix-femina) is another edible fiddlehead in Ontario. It is tricky to tell the edible and medicinal ferns from the entirely toxic and even poisonous ones. And then even the edible ones are often toxic if not prepared correctly. Lady fern (athyrium filix-femina), called upland lady fern in Haliburton Flora, …

Read more

Wild Chive – Allium Schoenoprasum: Edible & Medicinal Uses of the Overlooked var. Laurentianum of Wild Plants

Wild Chive - Allium Schoenoprasum

Wild chive usually refers to the very same chives you’d get from a seed packet for your garden or from a grocery store. The big surprise – there’s a variety native to Ontario! Wild chive (allium schoenoprasum) is typically a rare escapee from cultivation around here, more specifically it tends to be the European version …

Read more